Starlink provides reasonably stable internet connections in most areas, but there will be times when Starlink is connected, but there’s no internet.
If your Starlink is connected without internet, there are several possible fixes you can try before you reach out to Starlink Support.
In this article, we’ll look at why Starlink may not be connecting to the internet and what you can do about it.
Here’s the short version: Sometimes, it’s just a matter of waiting, but at others, you may need to restart your system, perform a factory reset, check to see if there are service outages, or reposition your dish or router.
There are also a few less common issues that could be affecting your internet connection. Browse the following subheads and see what might be causing your problem.
Check Whether Your Device Is To Blame First
This might sound like a bit of a no-brainer, but it bears mentioning – especially if you’re trying to troubleshoot your Starlink when you aren’t at your best and brightest.
Your device might not have its WiFi turned on – or it may be faulty.
If the router checks out OK (check the lights on Gen1 or Gen 3 routers to see), try switching to another device to see if it has internet access before assuming your Starlink is to blame.
With the rather obvious and easy out of the way, it’s time to get a bit more technical. Yes, it’s time to look at the Starlink system itself now.
Router Location And WiFi
We’re still keeping it simple. If you’re using WiFi too far from your router or its signal is obstructed, your devices may not be able to access the internet. Get up close to your router and see if that helps.
If so, try moving further away. Still good? Try another room in your house. It’s possible that you have “dead spots” where WiFi won’t reach and you won’t have internet.
Fixing the problem could simply be a case of finding a better place to put your router – central locations are best.
If you still have dead spots, you might need a mesh WiFi system to get a good signal throughout your home.
Use the Starlink App to Diagnose or Report Your Problem
When things get more complex than the possible issues we’ve covered so far, the Starlink app is a very handy tool for troubleshooting your Starlink system.
If you haven’t got it yet, we encourage you to download it. When your Starlink is not connecting, it’s your first port of call to get hints about what’s going on.
It will also give you its tips on fixes – but it might not cover all the bases, so keep reading.
Throughout this article, we’ll refer to the Starlink app and how it can help you.
We’re pretty sure that you don’t like your phone getting cluttered with useless apps – but this one is worth having! It’s good for at-home troubleshooting, but that’s not all.
If you really do have to give in and contact Starlink Support, the app provides them with a report that tells Starlink agents more about your issue and helps them to resolve it faster.
The Starlink App and Its Alert Messages
Your Starlink is connected, but there’s no internet. What now? Begin by checking the Starlink app for alert messages.
Remember, being connected only means your device is talking to your router and your router is connecting to the antenna. It doesn’t mean that your antenna has picked up a signal for your router to broadcast.
So, your first step is to check the app. Of course,your router might have no connection to your dish. In that case, this article isn’t for you, but here’s a quick tip: try restarting the router. If that doesn’t work, do one or more factory resets.
This article is about fixes you can use when your router is connected to your antenna but you don’t have internet. So, let’s return to a situation in which your Starlink is connected, but with no internet.
Starlink App Says Your System is “Searching”
This message literally means what it says. Your Starlink antenna is searching for a satellite connection.
It will usually sort itself out in 15 or 20 minutes, but there are reasons why it may not be able to do so.
1. Obstructions
If you just set up Starlink or recently moved your antenna, there may be obstructions that prevent your antenna from accessing Starlink.
If you haven’t used the app to look for the right spot to get connected and stay connected, do so now.
The app has an area for checking for obstructions with directions in which obstructions are located shown in red.
Obviously, you want the least amount of red areas on that map. Buildings, topography, and even trees can block your signal.
2. Bad Weather
If there’s a big storm in your area, that could be the reason right there. Bad weather does affect Starlink internet.
There’s nothing you can do about this one except wait out the storm. Chances are, things will resolve themselves once it has blown over
3. Network Outage
Network outages happen to satellites too. DownDetector is a super handy website that will show you a record of reported Starlink outages in your area over the last 24 hours as well as the current status.
Of course, if your network is down, there isn’t much you can do other than wait.
You can also check for network issues using the Starlink app. The graph you’ll see here shows outages and gives you statistics showing how often this happens.
If it’s happening a lot, you might want to have a word with Starlink about that since it’s the only way to find out what’s going on.
4. No Coverage
Although the areas in which Starlink has coverage are increasing all the time, there are still spots where there’s no coverage or poor coverage.
These range from large chunks of certain continents, to localised dark spots.
If you have backup internet and are travelling, you can use this interactive map to see if there’s usually coverage where you currently are. Input location details to make the map zoom in for a closer look.
Unexpected Location Alert on Your Starlink App
If you’ve been moving your Starlink as you travel or because you moved house, consider your Starlink package.
If you aren’t on Roam, your Starlink account is registered to your original address and won’t work if you move to another location.
To solve this issue, you’ll have to switch to a Roam package if you want to be able to travel with a working Starlink.
If you just moved house and have a new fixed location, you’ll need to update your address using the Starlink app.
Didn’t move but still getting the message? Try rebooting or a factory reset. Not sure how?
We’ll give you the details further on in the article because these two options can sort out a lot of different issues when your Starlink is not connecting.
Starlink: No Active Account Alert
A Starlink dish is linked to its owner’s specific account. Use the app to navigate to your account details to see whether your account is active.
If you’re using a dish other than the one you received with your Starlink kit or don’t have an active account yourself, then you just nailed the problem.
If you’re confident that your account should be active but are getting this message, try rebooting your system.
There might be a glitch you have to get rid of and this is a possible solution.
Still no luck? There’s nothing for it: you’ll have to contact Starlink support to follow up the problem.
Not Using a Starlink Router
At least in theory, you should be able to use your regular router with Starlink provided you get the right Ethernet Adaptor.
Surprisingly enough, our research found that some folks are picking up problems using third-party routers. They can connect – but there’s no internet.
Try reverting to the Starlink router, but remember that you’ll have to perform a factory reset to get it up and running again.
If you have internet after doing this, you may be able to reconnect your regular router and still have internet.
Starlink Cable Trouble
You might think that cable trouble means you can’t connect at all – but a slightly damaged cable can cause an intermittent internet connection.
If you’re feeding your cable through possible pinch points like windows or doors, that could be the reason for your Starlink not connecting reliably. The same counts for cables that have been installed with sharp bends.
If it’s easy enough for you to do a visual inspection, take a look. But not all cable issues are obvious. Starlink support may be able to help.
Dish (Antenna) Issues
Your Starlink dish is meant to move to catch its signal from passing satellites. But that mechanism can be faulty. Even if your dish does move, it pays to try a dish reboot.
A factory reset should reset both the router and the antenna, but some users have found it helpful to reset the dish on its own using the Starlink app – even after they didn’t succeed with factory resets. Need instructions? Scroll to end of this article to get details.
If the dish doesn’t move, you may need a new one. But before you go that far, do check that there’s no obstruction in the way of your dish’s movement.
Here’s a weird one we didn’t expect, but since it has several mentions in forums, we should probably mention it too. Some users say that their problems began when the weather got really cold.
A Starlink dish has a heating system that’s meant to melt away snow. Apparently, some of them had success in getting online after turning off their dishes’ heating function.
Top Fixes: Reboots, Power Cycles, and Factory Resets
Ok, so before we dive into this, do remember that there’s info on checking your starlink service availability, satellite reception, dish and cables in the relevant sections of this article.
However, the go-to fix when you’ve got Starlink connected without internet is the good old-fashioned reboot.
Failing that, you can try a power cycle, and over and again we’ve seen that one or sometimes more factory resets can solve these problems.
1. Reboot Router and Antenna
The easiest way to reboot your system is to use the Starlink app. Navigate to the settings menu. You’ll find sections for rebooting the router and Starlink (the latter is for your dish).
You can reboot one or the other, or you can choose to reboot both. You can also manually reboot your router, but that’s doing it the hard way.
2. Power Cycle
Power cycling means turning off all power to your system and leaving it off for a couple of minutes before powering it back up. Remove the plug from the outlet to make sure of this.
Although 30 seconds to a few minutes is usually enough for a good power cycle, we came across threads where users said that leaving everything off for a few hours worked better for them.
Besides this, some users used the “stow” option on the Starlink app with this method. We aren’t sure why this might work better for them, but any port in a storm!
What we do know for sure is that power cycling is an easy way to overcome issues caused by minor glitches, so give it a go.
3. Factory Reset
There are plenty of settings that can go awry even if you didn’t tamper with them. In this case, your best solution is to set up everything from scratch. Once again, the app is your best buddy.
Under “Settings” you’ll find a factory reset option that’s intended to restore your hardware to the state in which you received it.
After that, you’ll set up everything in the same way you did when you first powered up your Starlink.
If your first factory reset doesn’t work to restore your internet, try again. Some people report success on a second, or even third, try.
Getting Help From Support
Starlink recommends that you use the app to get support because it provides tech info along with your call for help. You’ll find mixed reactions to Starlink Support’s service.
Some people get responses within minutes. Others say they had to wait for days to get a response.
All the same, if you can’t solve your issue yourself, then Support is your only option.
So hit that request and check in for any responses you may get. After all, what’s the use of a Starlink without internet acces?
